The Hearts Wants, What It Wants
by NatsuD45
Summary: What if Kaneki never met Touka or anybody when he became a ghoul. What if he met them in a different way. Kaneki Ken lives his life as a half ghoul, trying to live his life from avoiding ghouls but that's impossible for him when they are drawn to him or the other way round. And What is with Uta and why does he want to see Kaneki so much and what is hidden in that smile of his.
1. Smell

**Title : The Hearts Wants, What It Wants**

**Theme : horror/dark fantasy story**

**Pairing : Kaneki/Uta**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 - Smell<strong>

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><p>A young college student sat on his school roof looking up at the sky. It was the usual routine for him. Every day at noon he would come up to look up at the blue clear sky. He didn't like going to college but it was the only think that he thought was normal about him. When he looked up at the sky he felt ease as if something was lifted from him.<p>

"There you are." Kaneki doesn't bother getting up from the ground where he was lying down on. He keeps looking at the sky ignoring his best friend's words.

"You're same as always I see." Hide can't remember when his best friend changed. Maybe it was when he got into that accident or was it somewhere else. Hide didn't even know why his best friend was thinking anymore well most part of him.

Well that's what they all think but the truth is far from that and Kaneki can't even tell his friend the truth. If he did Hide would be in danger and Kaneki couldn't let anything happen to somebody he cares about.

Hide lays down beside his best friend. The blond wonders what's so interesting looking up in the sky. There's nothing there but the blue sky that doesn't interest the blond but to his best friend there something else that he doesn't see.

"Hide I'm leaving." Kaneki says once he gets up with a smile on his face. Hide hates when Kaneki does that. Whenever his best friend is like this he has to try to stop him. There was a time that Kaneki almost quit college but Hide convinced him otherwise. Hide feels that Kaneki is hiding something from him, he knows since he has known Kaneki for a long time now but he doesn't push it.

Hide is just happy that Kaneki decided to stay and attend college even if he does leave in the middle of lunch every now and then. Hide lets out a sigh and leaves to follow his best friend and see where the boy has disappeared to.

It is still lunch time so they still have plenty of time till classes start but knowing Kaneki, he knows that he won't attend class but go back home and school.

"You're not going to graduate if you keep skipping your classes." Hide says this every time but Kaneki doesn't listen.

"_There isn't a reason for me to graduate." _Kaneki has always thought this way since he was found out that he is a half ghoul, what life a ghoul can have. If Hide found out what he was he wonder what kind of reaction he would have. Would it be a frighten one or something completely different from what he thought, either way there was no way that Kaneki was going tell him that he was a ghoul.

Kaneki was happier when he didn't know anything. He was happy living as a human not thinking anything but living a normal life but he couldn't anymore since he wasn't normal and not a human for starters.

"There was a fight again." As Hide and Kaneki walked by some students they heard some girls talking about the incident that has been happening a lot in the other part of the city. It seems some gangs groups have been fighting. Kaneki wonders why the police aren't doing anything to stop the fights.

"It's those fights again." Hide says. Kaneki and Hide don't go to that part of the city but it is still close to Kaneki's home but not so close that he would ever go by the area. "Be careful when you walk home."

"I can take care of myself."

* * *

><p>Kaneki didn't attend the rest of his classes and headed toward the direction of his home but he got a bit hungry so he stopped by a café that he came in often with Hide. Anteiku is a café that many comes that includes ghouls. The café isn't just a normal place people come in since the café is also run by ghouls. Kaneki knows it since he can smell who are ghouls and not but they can't tell that he is one too.<p>

Kaneki sits down and orders his usual and takes out a book out from his school bag and starts to read. As he reads he notice many people come and go. The place is peaceful and the ghouls who run the café don't do any harm to humans so Kaneki finds it alright.

"The young man comes here often." The manager of the shop turned to his waitress who was standing in the counter watching the boy as he read his book.

"That's true."

"What's wrong?" The manager asked.

"He comes here often but I can't tell if he's one of us or them." Touka says.

"That is something that is confusion." Even the manager found it strange that he couldn't tell the boy apart from ghouls and humans. He should know but he doesn't.

The time went by and it was getting late. Kaneki didn't even realize until Hide came through the front door of the café.

"Can't you try answering your phone?" Hide didn't look happy. Kaneki grabbed his phone from his right pocket on his pant and saw missed called by Hide. This had happened before, he was so interest in his book that his mind didn't think of anything else.

"S-orry." Kaneki tried to pretend like it was not a big deal but Hide took it another new level.

"You owe me one." He smiled. Kaneki didn't like it, whenever he had to owe Hide something it wasn't a good thing and it meant not a good thing for him.

* * *

><p>Later night Kaneki was walking home but there was a lot of traffic going on and he didn't want to wait till the traffic died down so he had no other choice but to take the route that he never would have took. The route that always had those gang fights.<p>

Kaneki walked through the alleyway and there he stopped since he saw the rumored gang fights going on. It was more like one guy was standing there not caring what was happening to him while the others looked at him extremely angry.

"What is that guy doing?"

"Are you listening?" One of the men wasn't pleased with the way the guy in the middle of acting. The guy was acting like he was thinking about something. Kaneki could tell that every one of the guys there were ghouls, of all the things why it had to be ghouls.

As Kaneki stood there watching the whole scene he noticed the guy in the middle's appearance. He had various tattoos and piercing. From the way the man looked, it was like he was bored. Kaneki saw another guy appear and without thinking Kaneki opened his mouth.

"Look out!" Kaneki quickly covered his mouth. Why did he open his mouth? It was none of his business. It was too late since the gang noticed him. The man in the middle manage to dodge the attack that was from the attacker. The man then knocked the whole gang out.

The man turned to look back at Kaneki. He walked toward the college boy Kaneki didn't know why but he felt a bit afraid of the man before him. From the looks of it the guy looked older than him.

"Thanks for helping me out there." The man smiled. The smile looked like a real smile, it didn't seem like the guy was going to kill him or anything. "By the way I'm Uta." He said. "What is your name?" There wasn't a harm to say his name so he open his mouth.

"I'm Kaneki Ken." Suddenly Uta started sniffing the boy and Kaneki didn't understand why the older male was doing such a thing, it was strange.

"Uta-san."

"You smell a bit strange." He said.

When Kaneki got home he got a shower thinking that he smelled bad but after he was done with the shower he thought maybe ghouls smell things different from humans. It was still a bit funny that Uta sniffed him like some dog, Kaneki couldn't stop thinking about it but there was still something scary about the man. He looked kind but Kaneki couldn't put it in words but there was something about the man that scared him a bit.

"Why am I thinking of somebody I won't see again?"

After the shower Kaneki ate some dinner. Kaneki isn't like most ghouls so he can eat normal human food that won't make him throw up. After that he headed to his bed and laid down there and closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

* * *

><p>"What?" Kaneki repeated his words to Hide.<p>

"I'm busy with my project so I want you to get something I order from a shop called HySy ArtMask Studio."

"I guess this is what I owe you, huh." Kaneki didn't have a choice but the black-haired student would rather be in the café reading his book. Hide wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to his best friend.

"It's not hard to find but to be safe."

"What am I a kid?"

Kaneki took the piece of paper from Hide and left the college. Like Hide said it wasn't hard to find but why was it so hidden. It was like from some creepy movie. The entrance to the shop was creepy as well, in the window was masks that could be called creepy by most people, there was hours of operation and also lists of things he makes.

Just then Kaneki heard a set of footsteps and saw a familiar face. It was the girl that worked at the café that Kaneki usually went to read at.

"You're that customer." She said as she pointed at Kaneki. Kaneki thought it would be better saying it without pointing fingers at him.

"Did you have business here too?"

"Yea." Kaneki wanted to get this over with so he walked into the shop followed by the girl inside. Kaneki looked around the shop but couldn't find anybody in the shop.

"Is the shop owner here?" He called out.

"Uta-san." Touka called out.

"_Uta-san." _Kaneki thought he heard that name somewhere before. Kaneki then saw a white sheet of cloth and it looked like it was covering something. Kaneki was curious so he opened it then somebody sat there staring at him.

"Boo."

Uta was indeed the same man that Kaneki had met the night before and he freaked Kaneki out that he fell to the floor. Touka turned to see what was going on.

"What are you doing, Uta-san?"

"I thought I would surprise you."

Uta closed the shop since he had to deal with both Kaneki and Touka.

"You're Kaneki if I'm not mistaken."

"That right, I-I'm Kaneki."

"You smell unusual as before." Uta said as he sniffed the boy once again. Kaneki felt nervous whenever the man sniffed him, did he really smell that unusual.

"Sit there please." Uta pointed to a seat and Kaneki sat as he was told. "You're here to get a mask done, right."

"I'm no-" Uta bend down to reach to Kaneki's level.

"Do you have any allergies?"

"No."

"What about rubber or metal?"

"They're fine."

"Do you want a full-face mask?" Kaneki tried to reply but Uta replied before he could.

"It's your first one, so maybe a half-mask will do instead."

"_He's nothing listening to a thing I'm trying to say."_

"The eye patch is cute." Kaneki didn't think anybody would common about his eye patch, it's been a while. The last time was when he got out from the hospital and Hide asked why he was wearing one after that his classmates also, after some time they stopped asking.

"Do you like them?"

"_There no harm in telling him a little white lie."_

Kaneki took the eye patch out and shown the Uta that his eye was normal and there was harm done.

"When large light hit my right it hurts so to avoid it I keep this thing on."

"I guess that's fine." Uta got up and was now standing. "Kaneki-kun, do you have a girlfriend?"

"Huh, no I don't."

"That's good then."

"Huh?"

"_What are with these questions?"_

In the end Kaneki finally manage to tell Uta what he came for from the help from Touka and still he got a mask made for him but Uta had explained that he would come see him or that Kaneki should see him again and in the end Kaneki gave the man his number unwilling of course since Uta took it upon himself to do so.

"_All I came here was to get a simple thing." _Kaneki was tired from the long day so he decided to deliver Hide's parcel tomorrow and plus it is a day off.


	2. Mask

**Title : The Hearts Wants, What It Wants**

**Theme : horror/dark fantasy story**

**Pairing : Kaneki/Uta**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 - Mask<strong>

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><p>Kaneki was making himself some lunch. It was his day off, if he was a normal college student he would be studying for a test or something but not anymore. But he still has the habit of reading novels since that's the only thing he still does that is normal. As he finished making some Indonesia noodles he put in a small bowl and took a can of coke out from the fridge and sat in front of the television. Just then Kaneki was going to dig in his cell phone rang which annoyed him, why did it have to ring when he was having his lunch.<p>

Kaneki let out a sigh then picked his cell phone and saw it was Hide calling. His best friend probably wanted the parcel he ordered but still such bad timing to call.

"Hello." Kaneki said putting his cell phone close to his shoulder so he wouldn't drop it as he ate his lunch.

"Kaneki, are you eating right now?"

"If you know don't ask." Kaneki then took a sip of the can of coke he had.

"Did you get the thing I asked for?"

"Yea."

Kaneki and Hide met up at the same café they were at yesterday. Kaneki had a bag with him, inside was the thing that Hide had asked him to pick up.

"What is this?" Kaneki asked handing the bag over to Hide.

"It's a mask." He said.

"Why do you need a mask?"

"It's for the project I'm doing, unlike you I like to keep myself busy." Hide took the mask from the bag. It was any ordinary mask that you would fine.

"How did you even find such a place?" Kaneki couldn't get his mind off of that place. Not to mention that guy who was running that place.

"There's a cute girl there." Hide pointed to the waitress. It was the girl who Kaneki had also bump into yesterday.

"Excuse me!" Touka turned her head when she heard somebody calling her.

"One cappuccino, please! And you, Kaneki?"

"I'm good."

"One cappuccino." Touka said as she wrote it down on her note pad she had in her hand.

"And also, what's your name?" Hide had to be so blunt.

"I'm Kirishima Touka."

"Miss Touka, Are you seeing anybody?!" Kaneki couldn't believe his best friend. Saying something so direct and to a girl.

"Stop that, you idiot!" Kaneki could see the blush on the girl's face and how embraced she looked. Touka ran off and Hide had an expression saying that he completed his task.

Kaneki's eyes went to the television and on it there was news about accidents that were happening. That reminded the black-haired college student about the day that he got into that accident and got turned into a ghoul. He was naïve to think everything was going well that night when he walked the girl he had fallen for home but instead the girl attacked him but he was somehow saved and the girl died but in the end he became this thing.

"What you thinking about?" Hide asked. Kaneki didn't realize he was deep in thought.

"It's nothing."

"You're thinking about that girl that you liked aren't you." Hide said. "I don't understand how fast you lost feeling for a girl that moved away." That's right Kaneki had told a lie to Hide saying the girl he had fallen for moved away to another city.

"It just wasn't meant to be." Kaneki said. The news on the television have been the same for some time now which made Kaneki worried. There were a lot of ghouls out there that would attack others like Rize did to him.

Just then the doorbell rang and a little girl and an older lady who looked like her mother walked in. They went to the front to talk to the owner of the shop. Kaneki could tell they were ghouls right away but he ignored it since it was nothing to do with him.

"I have to go meet someone." Hide said looking at his watch on his wrist.

"Who?" Kaneki asked.

"Oh I haven't mention but I've been helping Nishio-san with his work." Hide packed his bag and put over him which swung to the side. "Do you want to come?"

"I guess." Kaneki said. He only agreed to go because he knew that Nishio was a ghoul and he could hurt Hide and he didn't want anything bad to happen to his best friend. Kaneki saw the guy around the campus but they never interacted.

"I've been meaning to introduce him to you, Kaneki."

"You mean Nishio-san."

"Yea him."

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><p>The two were walking down the hall in the college until they stopped at one of the door. Hide didn't even knock on the door before announcing their arrival. A scream came and a girl came running out the room.<p>

"Nagachika, ever heard of knocking?"

"Sorry, Nishio-san."

"You know, nothing ticks me off more than a violation of territory." Nishio said tiling his glasses up a bit. The senior then turned around to look at the two boys.

"Oh, this is Kaneki, the good friend I mention before." Hide said introducing Kaneki to the older male. An unpleasant feeling overcame Kaneki and he didn't like it one bite. The senior looked at him like he knew what he was but that was impossible, wasn't it.

"You don't say." Nishio said as he got up from his seat and walked toward the two. Nishio put one his hands over Kaneki's shoulder. "I'm Nishio Nishiki, a second year in the School Of Pharmacy." His eyes looked at him with a cold tone. "Nice to meet you, Kaneki." Kaneki knew he wasn't seeing things, this guy knew exactly who he was.

"_Everywhere I go there are ghouls." _Kaneki didn't like it one bite. _"No it was always like this, just I wound up in this mess."_

"Nagachika, go get me a drink."

"Are kidding me?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Nishio glared at his junior. Nagachika didn't have a choice so he left the room leaving the two alone.

"You're a ghoul, aren't you?" Nishio stared at Kaneki without looking away. "You're one but you smell different."

Kaneki knew there would be a time when somebody would find out but he didn't think it would be by somebody in the same college as him. He walked passed this guy many times and nothing has happened maybe that's was his mistake. He should have avoided such thing.

"Don't look at me like that." Nishio didn't like the way Kaneki glared at him and only knew why. "I won't do anything to your friend."

"And I should believe you."

"I guess you don't." He laughed it off like it was nothing.

"I don't need him since I already have my supple."

Hide came back with a drink for Nishio. He looked at Kaneki then back at Nishio, he wonder what happened since the two were so quiet.

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><p>Later that evening Kaneki had just bought a novel from a bookstore and was heading back home. His mind was still on Nishio since it worried him that Hide would be in danger and he didn't trust the guy but there was something that told him maybe he's not bad but looks can be deceiving.<p>

"I better hurry home." He said. He looked up in the sky and thought it was going to rain soon, as he started walking he stopped in the middle of the road. He smelled blood and he didn't like the smell one bite. It was a familiar scent where did he smell it before. Just then he saw a familiar little girl running and she had tears in her eyes. The smell was coming from her.

Kaneki promised himself that he didn't want to get involved with other ghouls but it was too late when his legs started moving and stopped in front of her.

"It's okay." He smiled. Kaneki didn't think he would revealed who he is to a little girl but he did. Since it was the only way the girl would trust him and not be afraid since she was looking scared as she was. Kaneki bend down and showed the girl his ghoul side.

The girl took Kaneki to the place where the blood was coming from. The smell was heavier than it was before. There Kaneki saw it the woman that the little girl was with when she came to the café that afternoon but this time the woman was no more. The little girl started crying his Kaneki's arms.

Kaneki took the girl back to the café. He didn't know what he should do. He didn't want to reveal who he was that's when he got an idea. He went to see the man who he didn't want to see.

Kaneki stood outside the shop of the place that man owned.

"Stay here." Kaneki told the little girl. "By the way what's your name?" He asked.

"Fueguchi Hinami." She spoke.

"I'm Kaneki Ken." Kaneki walked in the shop, just like the first time Uta was nowhere to be seen. The college student was thinking the man hiding somewhere like last time.

"Uta-san, are you here?" Kaneki called out." I came here to pick the mask up." The man didn't appeared even after calling the guy's name so many times. Just then Kaneki turned around and there Uta was staring at him, it freaked the boy out that he ended up screaming like last time.

"Can't you appear like a normal person?"

"You came to get the mask." He said.

"Yes."

Uta handed the Kaneki the mask. When Kaneki saw the mask he was surprised. It was a half-face mask and it was strange looking. Uta had created it well for him, it matched the college student well and his face would be hidden well.

"Do you know?"

"Know what?" Uta replied.

"Never mind." Kaneki said as he took the mask and walked out the shop.

"Hinami, let's take you home since I have some business to attend." It was late and saw the café was closing but before they did Hinami arrived with Kaneki when Touka noticed Hinami she came out running that's when he saw Kaneki disappearing.

"I don't know if what I'm doing is right or wrong but I know that humans are the start of all this." Kaneki said as he put his mask on.

After Hinami explained to Touka what happened she had an angry expression on her face. She wasn't happy and now the little girl was all by herself. Humans were to blame for everything and Touka wanted the people who hurt Hinami to feel the pain.

She followed the scent of blood that led her under a bridge. What she saw there was a corpse of a man and she walked closer and saw the man had a wedding ring on his finger. It made the ghoul think that maybe it was good she didn't do anything and good somebody did. This man had a family which sadden Touka. Another thing was on her mind, who was behind all this.

She heard a noise and when she turned saw somebody and he was wearing a mask that covered half of his face. Touka felt like she saw him somewhere before but she hadn't the idea who it was but she felt she knew the person, she would tell the person was a guy.

"Did you do this?" She called out the masked-man. Kaneki didn't think he would find another ghoul and it had to be the girl from the café. He thought he would leave without being notice but she had to spot him just when he was about to leave. Kaneki didn't say a word but just nodded his head.

"Thanks." Touka said. She felt that maybe Hinami would feel better now the person who killed her mother had justice serve but inside Touka wasn't that glad since the man had a family himself.

* * *

><p>Kaneki got home and laid on his bed. He didn't know why he did what he did today. He killed a man, a human, somebody he used to be. He felt guilty about it. He was hesitation when he faced with the man and plus the man wasn't alone.<p>

"_I thought I would have a peaceful day." Mado said with a smirk. Kaneki didn't like the way the man spoke. He then saw the other guy with him take out his weapon. Both of them were going to take him out but he wasn't going to let that happen. He manage to dodge their attacks,_

"_Why did you kill her?" Kaneki yelled. "She didn't do anything to be killed for._

"_That has nothing to do with it." Mado said. "Ghouls are supposed to be dead." Kaneki didn't like this thinking. When he was human himself what did he think of ghouls, he didn't think since he wasn't aware of such facts._

"_Ghouls deserves to die." Amon said._

"_I wonder who the real monster here is." Kaneki couldn't just dodge the two all the time. He stopped and attacked the older guy first. After gaining new abilities he gotten stronger. He didn't want to kill the man but he left Kaneki no choice._

_Kaneki released his kagune and aimed at Mado. Mado tried to block his attack but Kaneki was stronger than that. He was smarter to he pretended to strike at Amon but attacked the senior once again killing him slowly._

"_What did you do?" Amon yelled. Amon ran toward his senior with worried look._

"_I don't like killing but if you harm somebody then I won't hesitate to strike." Kaneki said. Kaneki didn't feel like killing the man so he stopped there._

"_You're not killing me."_

"_I told you I don't like killing." Kaneki repeated his words. Amon didn't like how Kaneki looked at him and the way he said his words angered the tall man. Amon's took out his weapon and attack Kaneki but the boy dodged it with no problem._

_Kaneki had no choice so he attacked the man but didn't injure him that bad. His only injury was his right ear that was bleeding._

"_I'll say it again I'm not going to kill you so you should before I really start get serious."_

_Amon had no choice since he knew he was no match even with his ear the pain was bad. He ran off leaving Mado's body but he swore he would come back with others._

"This mask came in handy but I rather not use it again."

* * *

><p>Kaneki attended his classes the next day but he didn't pay much attention to what the teacher was saying. He was tired from yesterday since he came home late and he still couldn't believe the things he did for that little girl.<p>

When class was finished he was going go straight home and have a nap but stopped when he saw a crowd in the front entrance.

"What's going on?"

"Kaneki, you're going home." One classmate said.

"Yea, but what's going on here?" He asked.

"Some person appeared and girls started gathering."

"_Somebody popular." He thought._

Kaneki went closer to have a look and saw it was Uta but he looked a bit different. He looked more dressy and his eyes, it hit Kaneki right now. All the other times Uta had red eyes like ghouls but now he had blue.

"_Did he know I was a ghoul too because I wasn't aware such facts."_ Kaneki couldn't believe it.

"Kaneki-kun." Uta waved when he spotted the younger boy. Uta had a smile on his face. "I came to see you."

All eyes went on Kaneki. Kaneki didn't know why the shop owner wanted to see him but he knew he didn't want the attention he was getting because of Uta.

The two were walking around the city and Kaneki tried to walk as far away from Uta as possible since he could see the people staring at him and he didn't like the attention.

"Why are you walking so far away from me?" Uta asked. "Come closer."

"I rather not." Uta couldn't help but laugh at Kaneki's response.

"_Why does Uta want with me?"_

"Kaneki." Uta said stopping the black-haired college student in his track. His voice turned serious and it was the first time he heard Uta like that.

"What is it?" Kaneki asked.

"I smell the blood on you." Kaneki knew know that Uta really knew who he was. Uta walked closer to Kaneki and sniffed the boy just like the first day they had met. "With this smell many ghouls could find you."

"You knew."

"Yes and others will too if you don't conceal yourself property." Uta licked his lips and then stared Kaneki in his eyes. "You're a rare find so others would want to know more about the one-eye ghoul."

"_Is that what they are calling me now?" _Kaneki thought Nishio was the only one who knew but he guess wrong, he had to try to be careful from now on. He still couldn't trust anybody that wasn't a ghoul.

"By the way, why are you wearing clothes like that?" Kaneki asked.

"Why?" Don't you like them?"

"It's not that but you look kind of different."

"I wanted make a good impression when I arrive at your college."

"_You made an impression alright."_


	3. Help

**Title : The Hearts Wants, What It Wants**

**Theme : horror/dark fantasy story**

**Pairing : Kaneki/Uta**

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><p><strong>Mr. Ghoul - Thank you and i wanted to try to make this Kaneki different from the weak one but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a weak side.<strong>

**Jen - Thanks i'm glad to hear that.**

**thanks for reviews.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 - Help<strong>

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><p>"Kaneki-kun, you live alone." Uta asked. Kaneki didn't know why he went back with the ghoul to his shop. The man had come to his college surprising the boy and telling him they needed to talk, they were talking alright but it wasn't anything important.<p>

"I do." Kaneki replied.

The two were in the back of the shop where Uta really lived in. The shop was also his home which Kaneki didn't know. The boy was also wondered why Uta even bothered to talk to him, what was so interesting about him. Uta gave the young boy some tea to have while he do some things, Kaneki rather go home but it didn't seem like Uta would let him leave anytime soon.

"Looks like the mask come in handy." Uta said holding the mask that he had made for Kaneki. He looked it up and down to see if anything was rip. "I was right to choose this kind of mask for you." Uta then sat beside the young boy and saw the boy hadn't touch the tea that he had made for him.

"You don't like it." He asked.

"It's not that." He said.

"You'll have be careful with the ghoul investigators going around the city."

Kaneki the recalled the guy he took out and the one he let live. Kaneki didn't think he had it in him to kill somebody but he did it, he still regrets it since Kaneki has never killed anybody before and it was surprised to him what he was doing, the ghoul inside him took over.

"You're half-human, I see." Uta said. Kaneki didn't even tell the ghoul yet he already knew about him.

"How did you know?" He asked.

"I know a lot more than you know." Uta then saw the stare that Kaneki gave him. The boy wanted know more even without the boy saying anything. "You want to know, am I right."

Kaneki didn't want to admit it but what Uta said was true. He wanted to know the things that he didn't know, about the ghoul in him and much more.

"Do you know about Rize?"

"I know that fact that you were with her before she died."

"How do you know that?"

"I just walked by you and her and I have to say you have bad tastes."

"_I don't want to hear that."_

Kaneki was naïve to believe that all people were not ghouls. He never thought he would meet a ghoul in the first place. He never dreamed that the girl he fell in love with would try and eat him but look like luck was on his side when the building came crumbling down, but what Kaneki didn't like was he himself turned into a ghoul without a ghoul what to do, he had to live his life like everything was fine. He even skipped college because of it.

"Kaneki-kun, you don't have to worry so much." Uta could read the boy like a book. Kaneki knew there was something the older male was hiding but he could find out those things later, right now he had live his life like it was normal.

"Uta-san, when you speak I can't take you serious since you speak like you normally do."

"Normal?" Uta just stared at Kaneki. The boy couldn't help but smile since Uta was unlike anybody that Kaneki has ever met before. Uta's expression doesn't seem to change much when he says things.

* * *

><p>Kaneki was walking around town with Hide. They were going to go to the café again but something made the college stop in his tracks.<p>

"Is something the matter?" Hide asked.

"I forgot that I have to go do something." Kaneki waved to his friend and head to the direction where he could smell the blood of a ghoul and a familiar one. The smell led him to a certain alley and there he found him.

"Nishio-san." Kaneki called out. Nishio couldn't see clearly but he could recognized the voice. The voice of another ghoul.

Kaneki manage to drop Nishio to his apartment that he lived but he wasn't looking so good. It was the first time that Nishio looked so bad, he looked nothing like when he first met the guy. Was this the same guy as before?

"Why did you help me?" He asked.

Kaneki didn't have an answer since he didn't know himself but his body moved on his own and his mind was telling him not to leave his senpai alone in that state. The door to his apartment opened and a girl appeared.

"Nishio-kun." The girl called out to Nishio. She had a hime-cut hair style. Nishio fell on the floor of the apartment but the girl caught him into her arms. She then looked at Kaneki and glared at him but he didn't care.

"Kimi, stop it, it wasn't him."

So Nishio told him how Kimi knew about him being a ghoul and how they ended up living together. Kaneki didn't know what to think, he never thought of such things, a human and ghoul.

Kimi then told Kaneki that she decided to stay with Nishio even those he eats human flesh and such. That she would stand by it if he didn't eat her friends or family. Nishio looked really in bad shape that it worried her.

"Is there a way to save him?" She begged Kaneki. To be honest Kaneki didn't know what to think. He didn't know how to help others like Nishio, he meant have with Hinami but that was a different story.

"I want to save him, please." She begged.

Kaneki left Kimi and Nishio, his thoughts went back to see the two together and he couldn't forget the look on the girl's face. She would do anything to be with Nishio, even if it meant to let him eat her.

"How stupid?" Then Kaneki realized something, he didn't know but when he saw Kimi and how hard she was trying he wanted to help the girl.

* * *

><p>Kaneki couldn't believe what he was doing. He snuck into the café late at night of course wearing the mask that was repaired by Uta. He knew that the café had dead corpse hidden away inside for them to manage to live. He couldn't believe what he was doing.<p>

There was nobody around and nobody caught him so he manage to get the things he needed and escape, but he didn't realize a certain café owner was watching the whole thing.

Kaneki gave the food supplies to Kimi who gave it to Nishio but there was something on his mind.

He couldn't just steal again. He didn't even want to in the first place.

* * *

><p>Kaneki was sitting outside in the sun of his college. He was reading a novel so he could get some things off his mind. He then noticed a scent that he didn't really like and it was of a ghoul. This ghoul was somebody that Kaneki didn't like that much.<p>

Tsukiyama Shuu is not a guy that Kaneki likes that much, he's weird and creepy. Kaneki met the guy in the café that he always goes to. He always gave Kaneki that weird stare. Touka didn't seem like she liked him very much either.

"I see you're reading." He spoke as he sat down across from Kaneki. Kaneki choose to ignore the man but it wouldn't help since the guy kept on talking.

"_Why is here?"_

"I'm also a novel reader." He said. Kaneki heard this before. The first time Kaneki was probably impressed but not now anymore. This guy used Kaneki and he hated him for that, he also knew that Kaneki was a ghoul too.

"I have to head out." Kaneki quickly packed all this things and rushed out. He didn't want to be near that guy any longer. Kaneki didn't know when he walked out that Tsukiyama was giving him that stare once again.

Somehow Kaneki ended up at Uta's shop. He wasn't even planning to go there but somehow he just ended up there. He walked in and for once Uta didn't pop out of nowhere and surprise him. This time the ghoul was what looked like working on a mask, it was a mask of a rabbit.

"This is unusual." He said. Uta looked up and saw Kaneki.

"You're here." He said. Uta then notice a familiar smell on Kaneki and he didn't like it. Not many people like Tsukiyama Shuu for he did many bad things that made people hate him and Uta was one of them.

"You were with Tsukiyama Shuu." Kaneki could tell the hate in the tone of voice he used, it was kind of scary, scarier than anything.

"You know him too." Kaneki said.

"Somewhat." Uta replied. He continued to stare at Kaneki and make the mask in his hand. Kaneki was sure that he saw that rabbit mask before then it hit him he remember he saw it at the café when he stole the supplies.

"You shouldn't go near that guy."

"I try but it's him that comes after me." Kaneki said. The college student told Uta about how he met Tsukiyama and how he was at Kaneki's college. Uta didn't like the things that Kaneki said. To think Kaneki met that psycho before him made his blood boil but it made it more boil that he was near the boy in first place but he wouldn't show it on his face.

"Kaneki-kun, you did something stupid, didn't you." Uta said in a gentle voice.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I know that you snuck in and stole those food supplies." Kaneki didn't know what to say since it was true he did steal but he had a reason for it. "I know that fact that you can eat normal food so why need those?" Uta continued to question the boy with many questions.

"How did you know?" Kaneki asked dodging Uta's questions.

"I know a lot about you that even you don't know." Uta finished the mask he was done repairing and put it down on the table and turned to Kaneki once more. "If you're not too careful you might end up dead."

Uta wasn't speaking like his usual self. He acted more adult like trying tell Kaneki what he should do or not. Why did he suddenly care anyway?

"_Why the change?"_ He whispered.

* * *

><p>Kaneki was heading home after leaving Uta's shop. Their talk wasn't the usual and it felt awkward around Uta since he kept asking a lot of things that Kaneki ended up leaving and headed home. Kaneki was going to take a shower when he heard footsteps getting closer to his door.<p>

"Kaneki." It was Nishio's voice that was calling his name. Kaneki opened the door to his apartment and there Kaneki saw him and he didn't look so good. He looked healthy but there something else that made his senpai look sick. This didn't look like the guy he just saw yesterday who was about to die. He looked more worried and pale. What had Nishio been doing?

"What are you doing here?" Kaneki asked.

"Kimi, she's missing." He spoke with a dreadful expression on his face.

"What?" Kimi the girl that Nishio was living with suddenly disappeared. Why did Nishio come to him of all the people?

"I know it's strange for me to come to you but I need your help to find her." He said. "I found the scarf she always wore on the foot of our apartment."

Kaneki didn't promise Nishio anything but that he would look into it.

* * *

><p>The next day when Kaneki woke up there was a letter outside his door. Kaneki had a feeling this had to do something with Kimi. He picked the letter up and read it, that's how Kaneki found out who had taken Kimi.<p>

"It just had to be him of all those people, huh." He sighed. He didn't want to do anything with that psycho but he didn't have a choice since a human was involved in all this and this is one things Kaneki can't stand is a human getting hurt in all this.

Kaneki told Nishio about the letter and who had Kimi. The black-haired boy told the weaker looking college student that he would bring his girlfriend back safe and sound but Nishio didn't agree on it.

"I'm coming too." He said with a serious expression on his face. He looked like he was willing to anything for that girl.


	4. Secret Out

**Title : The Hearts Wants, What It Wants**

**Theme : horror/dark fantasy story**

**Pairing : Kaneki/Uta**

* * *

><p><strong>TheIntriguingCollector - No problem i have fun making it and there more to come.<strong>

** - I agree with you on that. I have changed some bits and pieces but everything is still the same in a way. Yea i wanted make Uta somebody who would protect Kaneki even if he is strong at times.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4 - Secret Out<strong>

* * *

><p>Kaneki and Nishio headed to the destination where the letter had said where Kimi would be. Kaneki hated the fact that guy had her, Kaneki knew that Tsukiyama wasn't somebody a nice guy, he might act nice and all but he has a hidden side that Kaneki didn't like.<p>

The two stood in front of the church. Kaneki could see that Nishio was looking impatient.

"I'm here Kimi." Nishio walked inside and Kaneki followed suit. When the two entered they saw Kimi but her hands and legs were tied and her eyes were covered with a white cloth.

"Kimi!" Nishio yelled. Suddenly the guy that Kaneki hated appeared. He had that smirk on his face, he was enjoying this.

"You bastard!" Nishio yelled.

"How nice of you to join us?" He smiled. Nishio charged toward Tsukiyama but Nishio was still weak and Tsukiyama was giving him a hard time.

"Nishio-san, stop it!" Kaneki tried to stop his senpai but he wasn't listening. He was charging and charging but each time was the same and Nishio was getting hurt more. Tsukiyama was going to punch the hell out of Nishio but Kaneki stepped in and stopped his punch but Kaneki he had a hard time since he wasn't that strong, since he was still learning as a new ghoul.

Tsukiyama manage to punch Kaneki but him glad he was able to protect Nishio but the punch since he didn't know how much longer Nishio would last with his injuries.

"_This isn't good."_

"Kaneki, let me eat you up." This guy was creeping Kaneki out. The black-haired boy's one eye turned red without him doing anything.

"Stop right there!" Kaneki knew this voice, it was the girl from that café. Kaneki turned around and he was right that girl was there.

"_Now she know who I am?"_

"Touka-chan, why are you doing here?"

"I saw you and Nishio together." Touka thought something bad might happen, at the time she didn't know that Kaneki was a ghoul as well and thought that Nishio would eat him or something along those lines.

"I see." He spoke.

"You're a ghoul." She said in a surprised tone. Of course she would be shock since he acted like any normal human would. Well he was human to start with.

"Tsukiyama." Touka said when she looked up at the older man. She didn't like this man like many others like her including Kaneki himself.

Touka saw that Kaneki and Nishio was both hurt then she saw there was a human girl tied up and she knew that man had something to with this all.

"Kimi." Nishio kept repeated his girlfriend's name as many times but the girl didn't reply back to him.

"I would like if you didn't get in my way." Tsukiyama then attacked Touka. Touka got hit by him, she was weak because she had eaten some food that her friend had made her.

"Of all the time why now." Touka could have taken this guy out in second but because of the food that her friend made she was weak. Touka could have refused but because she cares a lot of Kosaka Yoriko.

"Now let me have you Kaneki-kun." Tsukiyama walked closer to where Kaneki was. Kaneki didn't like this one bite. Kaneki got up from where he was. He released his Kagune and attack Tsukiyama but he dodged all the attack Kaneki did.

Tsukiyama released his Kagune and was going to attack Kaneki but a hand had stopped him. When Kaneki looked he saw somebody had saved him.

"Uta-san." Kaneki said in a surprised tone.

"I'm glad that you're not hurt." Uta said. Uta then turned to stare at Tsukiyama, more like glare. Uta was really angry and his looks could kill. With one hand Uta took care of Tsukiyama who went crushing across the room on the ground.

"How come you're here?" Kaneki asked.

"I always know where you are?" He replied. Kaneki looked confused since he didn't understand anything that he meant.

Nishio hurried over to his girlfriend. He untied her and hugged her.

"Are you okay?" Nishio could hear the breathing of his girlfriend and smiled that she was alive and fine.

"Touka, can keep Kaneki's identity a secret?"

"Huh?"

"Uta-san."

"I know that you don't want other to know about you so I want to protect you."

Why did Uta want to protect him?

"Sure I guess." Touka didn't have anything else to say to Uta.

* * *

><p>Kaneki had decided to go home with Uta since it was closer and he needed to get clean up. He kept thinking about how easily that Uta was able to stop Tsukiyama with just one hand. He knew that he needed to get stronger. Next time Uta won't be there to save him.<p>

Kaneki looked in the mirror and looked at himself and saw his red eye had appeared once again. He can never control it that it makes him so mad.

"Kaneki-kun, I put some fresh clothes for you." Kaneki heard Uta shout from outside the bath room.

"Thank you." Kaneki yelled back.

Kaneki got out of the shower and saw the clothes that Uta had placed. It was a white t-shirt, Kaneki looked at it then changed into it. He got out and saw Uta having some coffee.

"How is the clothes?" Uta asked.

"It's a little big on me." Kaneki said.

"I think it suits you well." He smiled. "Come here I made some coffee." Kaneki sat beside Uta and took the coffee that Uta had made for Kaneki and himself.

"I'm glad that you were not hurt."

"Yea." Kaneki involved a human in all this and he felt bad. Plus Nishio was still weak from not eating anything which made it harder for him. He wished he was stronger and able to help them more than he could.

"Uta-san, there something I want you to help me with."

"Sure, what is it?"

* * *

><p>Anteiku was running as normal but now Nishio was working there alongside Touka. Kaneki had asked Uta to help Nishio so he won't go weak again.<p>

"I can't be I have to work with you." Touka looked annoyed.

"Right back at you." Nishio countered his words.

It wasn't a good start for the two but it was the only way that Nishio wouldn't go hungry again since the shop would have food for people like Nishio.

Touka was surprised that Uta had come talk to him about getting Nishio a job. He said it was Kaneki's idea and he wanted what best was for Nishio and make Kimi happy now. Touka had also promised Uta to keep Kaneki's secret, but the teenager wonder why he was hiding it.

Since Touka came the next day with a wound and a new part-timer, it's no wonder that the owner would ask her the reason and plus Nishio was hurt also.

"_Just pretend like nothing happened."_

"Did you know about Kaneki?" Touka asked Nishio when they both had break together.

"Yea." He replied. Nishio pretend not to see him at the college but it was hard not to when he could tell right away he was a ghoul. "You didn't know about him being a ghoul."

"That's why I'm asking you, dumbass." Touka was annoyed.

"What a pain?" Nishio didn't like the way that the younger girl was treating him.

"How wasn't anybody else able to tell he's a ghoul?" Touka wonder about that, she was sure that her manger would have picked it up but he hasn't said anything so that means even he didn't know.

"He's a half-ghoul." Nishio said.

"How is that possible?" Touka looked surprised.

"I don't know the answer to that."

"Uta-san seem to know more about Kaneki, to even protect him." Touka let out a sigh.

"Kaneki-onichan is a nice guy." Hinami entered a room holding a book in her hands.

"You know about him." Touka said.

"He told me not to talk about it but since you already know." Touka then realize what the little girl was trying to say. She recalled that day she found a dead body and not to mention that Hinami had come home.

"Was it Kaneki who saved you?"

"Yes." Hinami said.

"If he saved you then how was he not able to attack Tsukiyama."

"Touka, I told you that he is a half-ghoul so he probably has a weakness." Nishio said.

"How the hell did you even meet him?"

"I would like it if you respected me." Nishio couldn't believe this girl, she was being so rude to him the moment they met. "He attends the same college as me."

"I guess half-ghouls don't have food problem but something else."

* * *

><p>Kaneki was at the college in the library. He was reading a novel rather than studying. He came to the college even those he didn't have classes. He wanted to be where he felt like himself and that was the library.<p>

There wasn't many students so it was peace and quiet. Kaneki thought how he ended up getting involved with many people even those he tried to avoid them. He wanted to ignore them and live a life like a normal human but it was impossible for him.

"_I need a way to get stronger."_

"I wonder how Nishio is doing at Anteiku café." He didn't think that Nishio was the type to work in a café since he's kind of scary sometimes.

Kaneki felt a vibrate and took out his phone from his jacket pocket. It was text from Hide. The text didn't say much but saying that Hide has been looking for a new job. Sometimes it was hard to speak to Hide when he always gave him a strange look and said things like "You seem different" And things like "If you want to tell let me know"

Kaneki couldn't tell Hide the truth. The day he got into that accident, Hide was there when he saw him in trouble and tried to help but he couldn't do anything in the mess. Hide was the first person to visit him, maybe the only since Hide is like family to him since his mother.

"_Sometimes I think that god hates me."_

Kaneki packed up his things and started to get up. He didn't feel like reading anymore. He wanted to do something else, maybe this was a good time to see how Nishio was doing at his job.

* * *

><p>Kaneki arrived at Anteiku café and saw Touka and Nishio arguing. When he entered the shop the bell announced his arrival and the two stopped fighting and saw the black-haired college student.<p>

The first one to approach the boy was the little girl. Hinami looked so happy to see Kaneki. She looked at Kaneki a bit shy but she was happy. She couldn't thank him enough for saving her, if it wasn't for him then she would have been gone.

"Oni-chan, you're here."

"Hinami, right." Kaneki said recalling her name.

"That's right." She smiled. Kaneki was glad that he got her name right.

"You look better than before." He smiled and patted the little girl on the head gently.

"Kaneki, you finally show up!" Nishio didn't look all that happy to see him for some reason.

"Is something wrong?' Kaneki asked in a gentler tone then the one Nishio was giving him right now. He even gave his senpai a smile, even those it was a fake one.

"How dare you leave me here alone with this wiles girl?"

"I can hear everything you say, you damn brat!"

"They don't get along do they?" Kaneki mumbled.

"They been like this since they started working together." Hinami said when he heard Kaneki's small mumble.

The manager came out and saw that Touka, Nishio even Hinami was talking to a certain boy that always came back. He remember this boy, he saw him sneak here before, and even without the mask Yoshimura knew who Kaneki was now. He did wonder why the boy hid about himself.

* * *

><p>Later that evening Yoshimura confronted the college student. Kaneki had a feeling the shop owner knew about him so he didn't try to hide it.<p>

"Is there something you need from me?" Kaneki asked as he turned to face the old man. The man smiled seeing this, the boy wasn't stupid.

"Why are you running away?"

"What are you saying?"

"I can see that you don't want anything to do with people but you already are involved with them." Kaneki couldn't deny what Yoshimura said was true. He liked interacting with these people.

"Are you the reason why Touka came with injuries and brought Nishio-kun?"

"You're smart." Kaneki said. "I won't deny it since it's the truth."

"I can help you." Yoshimura said.

"What?" Kaneki didn't know why the shop owner suddenly asked him some questions and tell him he can help somebody like him.

"I can tell you want to improve." Then again what the man said was true. But that didn't mean that he was going to do as what the man said.

"I'm sorry but I decline." Kaneki started to walk away, he then heard Yoshimura speak.

"If you ever change your mind Anteiku will be waiting for you."


	5. Decision

**Title : The Hearts Wants, What It Wants**

**Theme : horror/dark fantasy story**

**Pairing : Kaneki/Uta**

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><p><strong>Miachi13, iliveformangaandanime, guest<strong>

**thanks you for your reviews.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5 - Decision<strong>

* * *

><p>Kaneki had been thinking about what the old man said. His words were stuck in his mind. Anteiku were a placed run by ghouls for ghouls but even humans go in there. The place was a nice place that didn't involve any danger for anybody.<p>

"You're so lost in your own dream." Uta had surprised the boy like he always did and Kaneki almost fell of the seat he was sitting in.

"Uta-san." Kaneki said in a surprised tone.

"You're cute when you're surprised." Uta said. Here it came again. Uta always said such comments to him. Kaneki didn't understand how the guy wasn't embarrassed when he said such words with a straight face then again Uta always had the same expression no matter what he said.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked.

"It's not that important." Kaneki said but he told Uta since the boy started to trust the guy since he saved him and was there for him. Kaneki wasn't a person who trusted easily after what happened with his mother. His mother was so naïve to trust her sister. It still upset him that he couldn't do anything at the time.

"Yoshimura-san said that." Uta said. Uta didn't seem like he cared but there was something in those eyes but Kaneki couldn't tell what the older male was feeling. Sometimes he never really got Uta. Uta also sometimes helps out with the Anteiku cafe since he makes masks for the ghouls so he goes to the café sometimes.

Uta then decided to change the subject.

"How is your university going?"

"I haven't been going." Kaneki said. He also told Hide that he had been sick that's why he is always away. Hide wanted to visit but Kaneki said it was nothing for him to worry about. He thought maybe he should just quit college sometimes since another part of him inside wants to eat human but his other half stops it.

"Kaneki-kun you look very stress out so you should relax or you will grow white hair." Uta joked. Kaneki couldn't help but laugh with him since the man always made Kaneki feel calm.

It seems like Kaneki been spending a lot of time with Uta not like Uta minded it. Somehow Kaneki was just drawn to this person. It was funny how he wanted to know a bit more about Uta when he wasn't the type to say much about himself.

"I'm going for a walk." Kaneki said. He got up and waved goodbye to Uta.

"Come by anytime." Uta said as he waved goodbye back to the younger boy.

Right after Kaneki had left a woman came in. She looked curious, she had just walked passed the black-haired college student when she was heading inside Uta's shop and wonder who the boy was.

"Who's he?" She asked. Uta didn't answer but stayed silent and prepared to make his next mask. The woman hated when Uta ignored her like this.

"Uta!" She yelled in annoyance.

"Itori when did you get in here?" Uta asked like he didn't know. Itori has been friends with Uta for a long time and he always does this but she can never get use to his personally.

"I asked who that boy was."

"Kaneki Ken." Uta worded his lips. Itori heard of the boy before. He was the one that they found hurt when Rize got killed and the boy somehow survived.

"This is sure interesting." She mumbled.

"Why are you here anyway?" Uta asked.

"That's right I had business with you." She said.

* * *

><p>Kaneki had been walking around the city all day. He went to couple of shops that he loved like those book stores. Kaneki would sometimes stare at people and think which are ghouls and which are humans, there were some Kaneki could make out but some were still hard since he was half. His mind still at Rize in them, he kept remember those times he met her and how he fell for her, what a fool he was. Now he was a ghoul because he fell for her.<p>

He wanted to find the doctor who did this to him but he wasn't anywhere. He search but nobody knew where the doctor had vanished. When he found the man he needed to ask him some things he wanted to know.

"I wonder what I mother would think if she saw me now." He sighed. Kaneki could still hear his mother's sweet voice. She was an angel to him, there was nothing more important to him then her. He was happy as long as she was there but she was too naïve and it killed her. He knew now that all humans are weak like his mother, if he was still human would he also be weak like she was. Now he was a ghoul he was stronger and wouldn't let anybody get in his ways, but he wanted to be way stronger.

"You're spacing up." Kaneki startled from the source of the voice. Kaneki turned around and saw his senpai.

"Nishio-senpai."

"You look surprised."

"It's because I am." If he was there why didn't the guy say something sooner?

"What are you doing here?" Kaneki asked.

"Can't you see I'm shopping?" Kaneki then eyed the bags that his senpai was carrying.

"You're with Kimi, right." Nishio nodded his head in agreement.

"She's around somewhere."

It's funny how much things have changed. Kaneki didn't like Nishio when he first met the guy. He was afraid he would eat his best friend. Kaneki himself couldn't believe he helped the guy out. He almost got killed because of that but lucky for him that Uta saved them all.

"I heard from Nagachika that you haven't been to school."

"Oh that."

Nishio didn't want to butt in Kaneki's life but he thought it was a waste for the boy not to attend school. The college they attend was famous and a lot of people try to get in but unlike Kaneki others were actually working hard.

"You're not sick."

"I think I know that myself."

"Since I'm waiting for you I don't mind hanging out with you." Kaneki didn't know how he felt about that. It sounded more like he wanted hang out with him but the way he said it pissed Kaneki up.

Two continued walk around the city. Going through stores. Nishio didn't buy anything while Kaneki actually bought a book that interested him in some store. It was a big book and Nishio couldn't understand why the book would even a book that big.

"You're going read that." He said in surprised tone. Nishio didn't like reading much, he couldn't deal with studying outside of the university when he had to do it in class.

The two stopped at some café and had some coffee.

"You're working hard aren't you?" Kaneki asked. Kaneki was referring to Anteiku the place that Nishio worked at.

"You could say that but that bitch is a pain in the ass."

"Who?" Kaneki asked.

"You know that girl."

"Touka-chan."

"She's always saying things that piss me off." Kaneki didn't understand why he was even listening to Nishio complain to him about things he wasn't interest in. "She should learn to respect her elders."

"Nishio-kun." Just then Kimi came up to the two. Kaneki was glad that she appeared. The girl then stared at Kaneki in surprised. She didn't expect to see fellow student from Kami here.

"Thank you for last time." She bowed her head. She shouldn't even thank him since he didn't do much.

"Kaneki you should come by the café since Hinami would like to see you again." Nishio said before walking away with Kimi and leaving Kaneki there alone. Kaneki watched the two from behind, Nishio looked way happier than he did before.

Just when he turn around he bump into somebody. He touched his face in pain. He then looked to who he had bump into and saw it was Touka and she was with Hinami.

"Kaneki-onichan." She spoke.

"Idiot watch where you're going!" Touka seemed like she was in a bad mood and he had a feeling it had to do with Nishio who he had just saw.

"What are you doing here onichan?" She asked.

"I was just doing some shopping." He said as he held out the bag in his hand.

"You bought a book." Hinami said in a happy tone. Hinami was like Kaneki they both loved reading. Hinami loved it more when she saw all the hard books that Kaneki read at the café.

"How is working with Nishio-senpai?" Kaneki asked direction his words to Touka and she gave him a glare but Kaneki didn't budge from her aura that she was giving off.

"I rather you work there then deal with that idiot." She said.

The old man's words were still in his mind. Sure he declined him but part of him actually wanted to go there. He didn't want to be alone and he felt he met some interesting people. He probably can't be the boy he used to be when his mother was still alive but he's still himself.

"Do you have work today?" He asked.

"Yes I do a bit later." Touka said.

* * *

><p>Later Kaneki had made his decision and come to Anteiku to meet with the manager. He felt if he stayed at Anteiku he might find out what he supposed to do with his life.<p>

"I'm glad you decided to come." Yoshimura smiled. Yoshimura was always glad to help a fellow ghoul and he thought Kaneki needed to be somewhere like Anteiku. He was half-ghoul and could eat food like a normal human but there was food that he couldn't eat like a normal full-ghoul.

Kaneki had come out with a waiter uniform. He found it strange wearing something like this but it was for the job. He also decided that it was time he go back to university and try to act like a human once more. He maybe be a ghoul but he still had his human half that he couldn't forget about.

And he wasn't going to let Rize take over that part of him.

Touka was pretty shocked to see Kaneki come out wearing a waiter uniform, as well as Hinami and others that worked there. When Touka said he rather work with he didn't think that the guy would actually come work at the café.

Hinami was glad that he could see Kaneki more now. She could talk to him about books.

That evening Yoshimura introduce Kaneki to a fellow ghoul and Uta's close friend. Yomo Renji didn't speak much but he knew a lot about the ghoul world. The old man had asked Kaneki to go with Renji to get food. Kaneki was sick to his stomach when he saw what they were going to do.

Kaneki didn't think about it since he was half and could live like a human but he didn't realize that ghouls also have to eat and its human flesh they eat. Renji had gotten some flesh from human that had died, well it was better than a live human but it still made Kaneki sick.

* * *

><p>After helping with Renji the black-haired boy decided to go to where Uta was. His shop was always open for him. He thought he needed to tell Uta about what had happened. Uta was surprised that Kaneki had joined Anteiku. He acted shock but it looked like Uta had a feeling that Kaneki would join.<p>

"You're getting along with everybody. Aren't you?" There was cold tone there but Kaneki thought it was normal and didn't keep that in mind.

Uta was a mysterious guy to Kaneki, There were things that he didn't know much about the man. Renji was his friend and even he didn't know much about the guy. Kaneki wondered how the two even became friends, it was hard for Kaneki to picture the two as friends but they were.

"Kaneki-kun would you like some coffee?" Uta offered.

"I would but I'll make some for both of us." Kaneki said. He had learned how to make simple coffee from Yoshimura and he thought he should thank Uta since he's always the one coming to the older man. He sometimes wonder if he is being bothersome to Uta.


End file.
